{"id":517,"date":"2020-10-05T09:28:15","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T00:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/"},"modified":"2020-12-01T08:34:28","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T23:34:28","slug":"why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do I Get Ear Congestion When I\u2019m Sick?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being ill can be a draining experience, but it\u2019s usually the little things that get on our nerves the most, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/why-are-my-ears-clogged-causes-and-treatment\">ear congestion <\/a>(the feeling of ear pressure or fullness), a common occurrence when you have a cold or the flu.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article explains why you get congestion when you\u2019re sick, and more importantly, what you can do about it if you&#8217;re having this experience right now.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#How_Are_Illnesses_and_Ear_Congestion_Related\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> How Are Illnesses and Ear Congestion Related?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_are_the_Symptoms_of_Ear_Congestion\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> What are the Symptoms of Ear Congestion\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_are_the_Illnesses_That_Cause_Ear_Congestion\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> What are the Illnesses That Cause Ear Congestion?<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Allergies\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">3.1<\/span> Allergies<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Flu\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">3.2<\/span> Flu<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Colds\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">3.3<\/span> Colds<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Sinus_Infections\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">3.4<\/span> Sinus Infections<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Are_Some_People_More_Prone_to_Ear_Congestion_Than_Others\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> Are Some People More Prone to Ear Congestion Than Others?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_to_Relieve_Ear_Congestion\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">5<\/span> How to Relieve Ear Congestion\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#When_Do_You_Need_to_See_a_Doctor\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">6<\/span> When Do You Need to See a Doctor?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"How_Are_Illnesses_and_Ear_Congestion_Related\">How Are Illnesses and Ear Congestion Related?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear all have their role to play in the proper functioning of your ears, however, they can also be affected by infections, allergies, and other illnesses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The nose and ears are connected, so an illness rarely affects just one in isolation. Colds, flu, infections, and allergies can all make you feel &#8216;bunged up&#8217; in both of these crucial sense organs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have ear congestion, you might feel ear pressure or fullness together with some sort of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.md-health.com\/Ear-Congestion.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">muffled hearing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Some people also experience some crackling or buzzing noises.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A congested ear will usually go away on its own after five to seven days and generally isn\u2019t something to worry too much about.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if your symptoms don\u2019t ease after this time and you start to experience ear pain, dizziness, ear discharge, or nose bleeding, you should make a hasty appointment with your doctor as these can indicate a more serious condition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_are_the_Symptoms_of_Ear_Congestion\"><b>What are the Symptoms of Ear Congestion\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your ear congestion is caused by colds, flu, or allergies, you\u2019ll likely experience symptoms of ear congestion (a full, blocked-up feeling) along with sneezing, coughing, a stuffy nose, watery and itchy eyes, and general sickness \u2014 all symptoms that characterize illnesses and conditions of this ilk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_are_the_Illnesses_That_Cause_Ear_Congestion\"><b>What are the Illnesses That Cause Ear Congestion?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re sick and have a congested ear, it won\u2019t surprise you that a few common conditions and illnesses can cause a blocked ear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Allergies\"><b><i>Allergies<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the Eustachian tube can react to allergens such as pollen and dust by becoming inflamed, this can cause an imbalance in-ear pressure and fluid buildup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allergies can cause a middle ear infection (otitis media) and when the lining of your middle ear is irritated this can block the Eustachian tube, creating a feeling of fullness or congestion. You might also experience some temporary hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should be able to get some Over-the-Counter (OTC) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/allergies-ear-pain\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">antihistamines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Alavert, Claritin), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), fexofenadine (Allegra), chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), or levocetirizine (Xyzal) to help ease your symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Flu\"><b><i>Flu<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you have the flu your Eustachian tubes can get blocked and fluid can get trapped in the ear, pressing against the eardrum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might experience<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/what-is-conductive-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> conductive hearing loss<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> along with congestion. While this should go away, you might also develop<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/what-is-sensorineural-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sensorineural hearing loss<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if the flu virus attacks the middle ear, which is more serious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unless it&#8217;s treated quickly, this hearing loss can be permanent. If you have the flu and experience a sudden loss of hearing, see a doctor immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Influenza can lead to complications such as a decrease in your hearing acuity. Vasoconstrictor hearing drops might be helpful as can washing the nasal sinuses with isotonic solutions. As always prevention is your best friend \u2014 keeping healthy and getting vaccinated will help to prevent future influenza infections.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Colds\"><b><i>Colds<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The common cold is just that, an extremely common illness. Everyone has had one at some point or another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your cold can be caused by an astounding 200 respiratory viruses, but usually presents in a similar way each time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019d expect to get a sore throat, runny nose, coughing, watery eyes, headaches and tiredness as your body attempts to fight it off. They usually develop gradually and most people can sense it coming, days in advance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The nose, throat, and ears are all connected, so when a cold strikes, they\u2019re all likely to suffer. When you feel congestion in your ears during a cold it is because of an inflammatory lesion of the throat and nose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have a cold in the nasopharynx, a large amount of mucus is formed, disrupting the normal circulation of air in the Eustachian tube. As your ears are connected to the nasopharynx, this can cause painful symptoms in the ears. Sometimes a cold also means an increase in lymph nodes in the nasopharynx which plays a role in the hearing loss you might be experiencing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Sinus_Infections\"><b><i>Sinus Infections<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have a sinus infection your nasal cavities will be swollen or inflamed due to an infection or an allergic reaction. A clogged ear, ear pain, and temporary hearing loss might occur with a sinus infection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OTC pain medications and decongestants can help your symptoms, as can using nasal saline or a humidifier to add moisture to the air.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Are_Some_People_More_Prone_to_Ear_Congestion_Than_Others\"><b>Are Some People More Prone to Ear Congestion Than Others?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might feel like you\u2019re always getting ear congestion when you\u2019re ill, and way more often than your friends or family seem to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think you\u2019re more prone to ear congestion than other people, you might be right. Some people\u2019s Eustachian tubes are naturally shaped in a way that makes them more <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.self.com\/story\/relieve-ear-pressure-sick\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prone to congestion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when they have something like a cold. This could be the case for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your Eustachian tubes could also be narrower or more horizontal than average (like children\u2019s) which makes it much easier for fluid to collect, or you might have a greater amount of mucus at the opening of your Eustachian tubes which facilitates greater swelling when you come down with something.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"How_to_Relieve_Ear_Congestion\"><b>How to Relieve Ear Congestion\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When your illness goes away, so should your ear congestion. However, ear congestion is annoying and uncomfortable in the moment, and it&#8217;s understandable that you probably want to reduce it as much as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ease your symptoms you\u2019ll need to relieve congestion and swelling in the nose and throat to open up your Eustachian tubes. This can be done with home remedies, taking antihistamines for allergies, or by using nasal decongestants. Ultimately the best treatment will depend on the cause, so do some further research on your symptoms and speak to a doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"When_Do_You_Need_to_See_a_Doctor\"><b>When Do You Need to See a Doctor?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes your sickness symptoms get better, but your ear congestion does not. This is the first sign that you might need to see a doctor for a check-up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you develop green nasal discharge along with sinus pain and fever, develop a fever on its own, or have a weakened immune system, asthma, or emphysema, visit a doctor as soon as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are experiencing ear pain, fluid drainage, and hearing loss, this can indicate an ear infection. Although they can clear up on their own, ear infections often need to be treated with antibiotics. If you think you have an infection, you\u2019ll need to see a doctor for a prescription.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, if your problems persist, go to the doctor. They\u2019ll be able to give you a thorough medical examination and work out the best course of treatment for you. You might need steroid ear drops to reduce swelling or antifungal ear drops if there is a fungal infection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your congested ear has just appeared, there are some home remedies you can try for now. Alternatively, you can get antihistamines and decongestants to help reduce ear pressure or OTC pain relievers to relieve earaches.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To learn more about hearing health, see our other <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">blog articles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><b>The information in this guide has been written using the following reliable sources:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.self.com\/story\/relieve-ear-pressure-sick\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.self.com\/story\/relieve-ear-pressure-sick<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mountainent.com\/blog\/colds-flu-allergies-and-your-ears\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/mountainent.com\/blog\/colds-flu-allergies-and-your-ears<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pediatrust.com\/Ear-Congestion\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/pediatrust.com\/Ear-Congestion<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/iliveok.com\/health\/causes-ear-congestion_131026i16004.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/iliveok.com\/health\/causes-ear-congestion_131026i16004.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Being ill can be a draining experience, but it\u2019s usually the little things that get on our nerves the most, such as ear congestion. This article explains why you get congestion when you\u2019re sick &#8211; and what you can do about it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Do I Get Ear Congestion When I\u2019m Sick? - Olive Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Being ill can be a draining experience, but it\u2019s usually the little things that get on our nerves the most, such as ear congestion. This article explains why you get congestion when you\u2019re sick - and what you can do about it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Olive Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-05T00:28:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-11-30T23:34:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3807629.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1284\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/\",\"name\":\"Olive Union\",\"description\":\"Introducing the Olive Smart Ear: A Cool, Affordable Wearable That Removes the Stigma from Impaired Hearing. Each Olive Smart Ear is a single-ear hearing amplifier that improves the sound of everyday life and is customized to your own hearing. When paired to smartphone with Bluetooth, each earbud can also amplify phone\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3807629.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1284},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/\",\"name\":\"Why Do I Get Ear Congestion When I\\u2019m Sick? - Olive Union\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-05T00:28:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-11-30T23:34:28+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/#\/schema\/person\/3563fa3f05dc4a3ac5f50e2129b8b728\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-and-health\/why-do-i-get-ear-congestion-when-im-sick\/\",\"name\":\"Why Do I Get Ear Congestion When I\\u2019m Sick?\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/#\/schema\/person\/3563fa3f05dc4a3ac5f50e2129b8b728\",\"name\":\"oliveAdmin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a5aea6df23699813e393582ab2687ad5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"oliveAdmin\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1038,"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517\/revisions\/1038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}